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Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

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Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#11

Post by Someone1234 »

cosmotic wrote: post #8

As far as I know, the workaround is no longer needed https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-re...

You're conflating two different issues; Windows 11's broken/anti-competitive default browser changing UI has been improved (although annoying popups remain), but those defaults are only used by non-Microsoft software.

Microsoft's other software uses "microsoft-edge://" links which simply ignore the user's default browser choice and open in Edge. When a workaround was found to fix this (i.e. to obey the user's choice), Microsoft blocked it.

Plus Microsoft rushed out this Edge-link workaround patch to retail, while sitting on the default browser UI improvements until next year.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#12

Post by neogodless »

cosmotic wrote: post #8

As far as I know, the workaround is no longer needed https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-re...

It's two different things.

1. This article is about Windows and Microsoft applications forcing use of Edge, ignoring your default browser entirely.

2. Your article is about setting your default browser.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#14

Post by kunagi7 »

Brave also used this workaround. When workarounds are used by a few (EdgeDeflector), this methods usually pass under the radar... When a lot of users start using them they're quickly patched. Sadly, this fix shows that you can't bully the bullies in their own turf. But Microsoft should never forget the Antitrust lawsuit back in 2001.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#15

Post by amoshi »

recursive wrote: post #13

Firefox, if it makes you feel any better, you can just make your own firefox: (or mozilla:?) protocol handler, and probably no one will mess with it.

You're completely missing the point, it's about Windows ignoring users browser choice and opening stuff in Edge anyway.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#16

Post by 0xC0ncord »

recursive wrote: post #13

Firefox, if it makes you feel any better, you can just make your own firefox: (or mozilla:?) protocol handler, and probably no one will mess with it.

The problem is that the microsoft-edge:// protocol is used throughout the Windows UI and menus and will always open in Edge regardless of the user's preferences. If you click on a link in say, the Settings UI, it will ignore your default browser preference and open in Edge with no way to change it.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#17

Post by mikestew »

xdennis wrote: post #6
anshumankmr wrote: post #2

As someone who used Firefox and has Windows 11, how is it going to affect me? My links open in Firefox only (and the only time I open links is either from WhatsApp or occasionally some link in a doc file or PDF I am reading). It works fine for me so far.

I don't want to be mean, but saying "this doesn't affect me" is how freedoms get lost.

Parent didn't "say" that at all. It was a question, not a statement, which explains why the question mark was used: "how is it going to affect me?" At the end, the user gives us the courtesy of reporting what behavior they observed, which is all too often lacking.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#18

Post by ashton314 »

MS is getting desperate. This shill [^1] had the audacity to reply to a tweet I made praising the very excellent FOSS Zotero bibliography manager with a suggestion to use Edge. Like, come on. Amusingly, Twitter initially hid his tweet with "Tweet may contain offensive material." Offensive to a FOSS-loving mind indeed.

[^1]: https://twitter.com/varadarajans

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